After three days of preparing our Thanksgiving dinner, the family approved everything. It was the first time making a dinner for my daughter-in-law and grandson and they really liked having a traditional American-style meal. The cuisine in Panama is very different than here in the US so they enjoyed trying something new.
Instead of roasting the 18 lb. turkey whole, I decided to carve it into sections before cooking. It worked out nicely and it only took 1 1/2 hours compared to 4 hours. The only thing was that the skin did not crisp up as much.
Three days ahead, I made the cranberry sauce, and this delicious Sweet Potato Casserole with a Pecan topping, it was outstanding if I do say so myself.
Two days before, I prepared the sausage and herb stuffing which is always delicious. The green bean casserole was made with mushrooms, cheddar, and brie cheese.
One day before, I baked fresh apple and pumpkin pie. They were the two deserts my son requested for Thanksgiving. I found a recipe for cranberry salad which I made as well since it needed one day to meld the flavors. I was apprehensive about making it for the first time, but to my delight, it was very good. My husband said that it could become a traditional dessert from now on. :-)
The only thing left to prepare was carving up the turkey and seasoning it with herbs and butter. The mashed potatoes and gravy were easy enough to do while the rest of the meal was cooking. I love that the cooking time was so much shorter than cooking a whole bird. The casserole dishes took less than an hour and they were done. All in all, I'm sure I will always carve it up before cooking for future holidays.
My son has been enjoying the leftovers for two days and is slowly eating the pies too. They never get to have turkey so he loves having it for lunch every day.
This was the meal that I prepared for my family this year. I hope you all enjoyed your Thanksgiving dinners with your families too.
Until next time, this is Sunscape
Sun. Scape. Ing Your Day
